At CES 2013 Intel has announced that all laptops which carry the Ultrabook brand and use the 4th generation Intel Core Haswell processor will need to come equipped with a touch screen and WIDI wireless screen technology.

WiDi allows PCs to send up to 1080p video and 5.1 sound to compatible systems.

Despite these added components Intel expects Ultrabooks to drop in price to around $599, from a typical $999 at present.

Intel also expects the next generation ultrabooks to have up to 13 hours battery life, saying users will be able to forget taking the charger with them.

Increasing the proportion of PCs with touch screens will likely provide a major boost for Windows 8, and make it clear to buyers why Windows 8 is the preferred OS over Windows 7.

Intel also announced their new Bay Trail Quad-core Atom processor with double the performance of current generation Atoms using 22nm architecture which also guarantees great battery life.

The processor should show up in Windows 8 tablets at the end of this year.